Lu Ye froze mid-motion as he opened the car door, turning to glare at him. “What are you shouting for? Afraid no one knows?”
Zhao Qiang shrank his neck and chuckled nervously. “Not urgent, just… that Xu Su woman made a move. She showed up over by the abandoned factory in West City. The guys are all waiting for your orders.”
Lu Ye bent and slid into the driver’s seat, pressing lightly on the gas. His expression immediately hardened; all the earlier cocky charm and softness from inside the house vanished, replaced with the cold, sharp edge of a soldier. “Everyone keeping eyes on her? No spooking her?”
“Don’t worry, we’re on her tight. That woman’s tricky she changed clothes three times, circled eight streets. We almost lost her,” Zhao Qiang said, climbing into the passenger seat and handing over a loaded pistol. “The guys are in position, just waiting for your word. We’ll make sure she doesn’t slip through!”
Lu Ye took the gun, expertly holstering it behind his waist. He started the engine; the tires screeched against the ground like a coiled cheetah ready to pounce. “Anyone else with her?”
“None spotted. Looks like she’s alone, but there could always be a backup,” Zhao Qiang lowered his voice. “Commander, this woman’s a big fish. Rumor has it she has crucial intelligence. If we can interrogate her…”
“Cut the crap.” Lu Ye interrupted, yanking the wheel sharply. The car swerved into a dark alley. “Remember alive, we need her; dead, we need proof. Don’t let her pull any tricks, and don’t let anyone on our side get hurt.”
“Understood!”
The car raced along, streetlights flashing past. In the shifting glow, Lu Ye’s profile looked sharp and cold. His hand grazed the pistol at his waist; fingers brushing the cool metal, yet his mind flicked to Lin Tianxin’s flushed face as she warned him, “Be careful.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he muttered a curse, pressing the gas harder.
Damn it. Finish this fast… then get back and “mess with” his little wife.
Zhao Qiang, watching the sudden surge in speed and the dark fury in Lu Ye’s eyes, muttered to himself: Well, Xu Su’s in for it now…
The car stopped on the dirt road outside the abandoned factory, tires crunching over gravel. Lu Ye swung the door open; the night air, smelling of rust, hit him. No sooner had he steadied himself than a panicked lookout ran up, pale-faced: “Commander… we lost her!”
“What?” Lu Ye’s voice instantly turned icy. The murderous gleam in his black eyes flared. “Three hundred meters, and you lot couldn’t keep track of one woman?”
Useless. Not a single bit of his cunning learned.
“No, Commander,” the soldier waved frantically. “She went in through the back door. When we followed, the warehouse inside was empty. Windows were open, and there were fresh footprints on the floor she must’ve scaled the back wall!”
Lu Ye didn’t wait for more explanation. He spun and dashed into the factory. The warehouse was empty, save for a few discarded wooden crates. Cobwebs in the corners were mostly destroyed, clearly someone had passed through recently.
He reached the open window, pressing his fingers on the sill, where a faint, half-visible shoe print remained.
“Shit!” Lu Ye growled, turning to leave, chest burning, temples throbbing.
Xu Su… daring to vanish right under his nose?
Ha!
As soon as he stepped out the factory gate, he spotted the old locust tree in the corner. With no outlet for his anger, he kicked it hard. Bang! The bark splintered, his ankle numbed from the impact, yet the fire in his chest didn’t fade a bit.
“Shit!” he muttered, a vein bulging on his temple. “She got away? I haven’t settled this yet!”
Even if Xu Su hadn’t pushed Lin Tianxin, her status as an enemy agent made capturing her inevitable.
Zhao Qiang trailed behind, terrified by the force of his commander’s kick. He barely breathed, knowing Lu Ye’s rage was uncontrollable ever since the incident where the commander’s wife fell from the second floor, his fear hadn’t faded. And now Xu Su escaped it was like another knife to the heart.
“Commander, maybe… we should widen the search? West City’s all old alleys; she can’t get far,” Zhao Qiang suggested, forcing himself to speak.
Lu Ye turned, bloodshot eyes striking fear. He checked the magazine on his gun, voice ice-cold: “I’m going in myself.”
He didn’t finish the sentence, but the sheer ferocity made every soldier shiver.
None had seen his wife, but everyone knew Xu Su had pushed her down the stairs.
In the unit, it was common knowledge that Commander Lu had someone he cared about deeply. Rumor had it she was a rural woman, probably dark-skinned and plain. After all, there were plenty of pretty girls in the troupe, but Lu Ye never liked any.
Everyone guessed he must like a tall, strong, rural woman. If Lu Ye was so massive and powerful, the woman he liked would match him in strength.
Whoever made Lu Ye care so deeply must be truly exceptional.
The night wind grew colder, lifting Lu Ye’s open shirt collar and revealing the bandage on his bleeding shoulder. He pressed his hand to the wound.
“Move!” He strode toward the alley first.
One thought consumed him: catch Xu Su, tear her to pieces, then rush home to check if his little wife was sleeping soundly.
She’d been frightened was she having nightmares?